OUUC Weekly Update 4-4-23
News from the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Worship Service April 9 at 10:00 am - online and in-person
"Trusting Re-emergence" with Rev. Mary Gear and Rev. Sara Lewis
OUUC Sunday Morning Service
https://zoom.us/j/873210124?pwd=U21qdmwxcTNyaE1LQ0xlU0MwM3VMQT09
Meeting ID: 873 210 124
Password: 995142
Dial +1 253 215 8782
See recordings of online services here.
April 9 After-Service Event: Easter Egg Hunt in Burri Park at 11:15 am.
Happening This Week
Thursday Community Dinner is for everyone!
Every Thursday 5:30-6:30 pm
This week's dinner is catered by Ramirez Mexican and hosted by OUUC volunteers.
After dinner:
7:00 pm Maundy Thursday Spiritual Practice
Due to Spring Break, there are no Religious Education classes scheduled.
Thursday Night Spiritual Practice
A Maundy Thursday spiritual practice with Rev. Mary Gear. Online and in-person.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87438786949?pwd=ZFd4MFJiUGY4eS9KNVpmOVNnMm9BUT09
Meeting ID: 874 3878 6949
Passcode: 297714
Messy Holiday Fun!
All ages are invited to join us to dye Easter Eggs at OUUC. Come make the mess here and take home the pretty eggs! Important: bring your own 1 dozen hardboiled eggs ready to dye. Saturday, April 8, 10:00 am-noon. OUUC classrooms. Questions, contact Anissa.
Donations wanted for Easter Egg prizes! Small items, but they don’t need to fit in an egg: edible treats/candies, art supplies, flower seeds, books, and small toys. Donations can be dropped off with Sara or Anissa from now until Easter (April 9).
Ministry Programs
Upcoming Class: Building Multicultural Competency
A 2 session class focused on the call and the practice of multicultural competency in our personal and congregational lives. Facilitated by Rev Sara Lewis and Tiffany Felch.
This class will be offered in person and then again online. Choose ONE option that is right for you.
Thursdays 6:30-8:30 pm, In person April 13 and 20
On Zoom April 27 and May 4 (separate registrations)
Pilot Testers for a new Program Wanted: Newcomer Buddies!
The Member Engagement Team is working to create a Newcomer Buddy Program at OUUC, matching interested newcomers with long-time congregants who can help them navigate OUUC, answer questions, and be a friendly face at events. We will be trying a short-term experiment to help us craft the specifics, and we need You to be a tester!
For the month of May, we will have OUUC Buddies matched and connect newer(ish) folks with long(er/ish) timer folks. If you would like to participate, contact Rev Sara.
Buy Ticket and Donate to the Auction!
Visit the 2023 OUUC auction website to buy your ticket and/or donate! The live auction and community event will be on May 6, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Tickets are $10 to $100 per person—pay what you can, and everyone is welcome. Why the variable price? The per-person cost of catering is estimated to be $25. We want to make the event accessible to everyone and if you can pay more, that allows others to participate. Auction items are welcome throughout the month of April (procurement closes on April 28). Enter your donation on the auction website. Donations of social events, outings, get-togethers, handmade items, and unique opportunities are welcome! Questions? Contact Gail Wrede.
Quilt Raffle
In conjunction with the OUUC Auction, the Sewing Ministry is offering a handmade quilt in a raffle. The quilt is 72” x 85” and handmade with love. Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. Tickets will be offered in the Commons on Sunday mornings in April, at the Thursday night dinners, and at the Auction. The winning ticket will be drawn at the auction. The picture is of an unquilted top, which is being quilted now.
OUUC Under Construction Soon!
Work on OUUC’s HVAC system will begin on Monday, April 10. That means the Sanctuary and part of the Commons will be a construction zone for a while. This work is part of our commitment to lowering OUUC’s carbon footprint by installing energy-efficient heat pumps to replace gas furnaces. Thank you to all who contributed to the Capital Campaign that helped make this happen. Here’s what you can expect in the next few weeks:
Sunday services will be held in the classrooms on April 16 and 23, and maybe on April 30. The classrooms have limited seating, so if your spiritual needs can be met by participating on Zoom or YouTube we invite you to do so. We’ll have coffee and treats in the Commons and breakout rooms online after the service as usual. The after-service events will be offered as usual, too. April 16 is Board Sunday and April 23 is Melanie Ransom’s Talk Show featuring guest, Rev. Sara Lewis.
The Thursday dinners will be held as usual. The Commons ceiling near the doorway may look like a construction zone, but we expect the rest of the room to be fit for use.
There will be no Thursday evening spiritual practice after April 6. We will offer after-dinner activities in the Commons for those onsite on Thursday evenings. For those people who like an online spiritual practice, we encourage you to use the many recorded Thursday evening events we’ve offered for the past several years. You can access those on the OUUC YouTube channel.
We will update you weekly in the Tuesday update and The Spark. We’ll also put information in the email reminders and on the website.
Other scheduled meetings will take place in the classrooms as planned.
Thank you for your patience! It will be great when it’s done!
Rev. Mary
Chalice Camp
Registration is open now for Summer Chalice Camp! July 10-14, 9:00 am-3:00 pm, ages 5-10. Suggested donation up to $175, pay what you can.
We will be exploring right relationship: with self, with others, with all beings, and with the earth itself. Lots of fun, open to all!
Thank You!
Thanks to all who worked in the OUUC yard last Saturday we go a lot accomplished! The crew are Rich Kalman, Gail Wrede, Maureen and Kent Canny, David Pelto, Fritz Wrede, Sally Alhadeff, (not pictured are Frank Turner, Gerald Dodson and Lynne MacDonald). Notice the bed in front of crew is weed free.
Volunteer to Provide Food
This month’s OUUC 3rd & 4th Wednesday night dinners at Unity Commons Adult Shelter and collections of food donations for the Food Bank’s weekend backpacks for children will be Wednesday, April 19, and Wednesday, April 26. You can help by bringing a main or side dish for the 62 guests at the Shelter, and/or donations of shelf-stable food for the children in need. Please contact Jo Ann Young for more information.
Support Hunger Walk
OUUC is once again supporting Thurston's Hunger Walk, an annual fundraiser to help two local agencies: The Community Kitchen & The Thurston County Food Bank. At the end of February, millions of Americans lost the pandemic boost to their food stamps (now known as SNAP.) That translates to dramatically less access to groceries - exactly when inflation and food costs reach near 40-year highs. Your donations to support our neighbors experiencing hunger - are now more important than ever! This year’s walk will take place at Huntamer Park on Sunday, May 7 beginning sharply at 3:00 pm. Enjoy camaraderie and live music while you walk as little or as much as you like. You can donate through our "team" site. If you prefer, you could make out a check to Thurston's Hunger Walk and mail it to: Thurston County Food Bank, P.O. Box 11549, Olympia, WA 98508 with "OUUC" in the memo line. Remember, give what you can and walk if you want!
For more info and to see what other teams are participating check here. And check out our video. Finally, please consider posting the walk on your Facebook page and forwarding this email on to your friends. Thanks for stepping up to help lessen food insecurity in Thurston County!!!
Unity Library is for Everyone!
Everyone is invited to visit OUUC’s Unity Library which is in the RE hall and across from Reverend Mary’s office. There you will find books for children, teens, parents, and all other adults who love kids—-books about antiracism, economic and environmental justice, social justice leaders and herbs, native American stories, other religions and more. Unity Library is open any time OUUC is open and ready for an easy self-check-out and return. Questions? Please contact Jo Ann Young.
April’s Books of the Month: two books on the Islamic month of Ramadan, and The Green Book—a child’s story about the time of Jim Crow exclusion.
Article II Idea Submission Form
At General Assembly (GA) 2023, Unitarian Universalists will take an initial vote on proposed changes to Article II of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Bylaws, which includes the current UUA purposes, principles, sources, and clauses on inclusion and freedom of belief. Until April 30 any Unitarian Universalist may submit as many suggestions and ideas as they would like through an online form for ways they recommend modifying the Article II Study Commission proposal (PDF).
Submit ideas here.
Decision-Making at End of Life
With the availability of modern medical care, many of us live longer and healthier than previous generations did. However, modern medical care sometimes prolongs the duration of life longer than the quality of that life. Drawing on the work of the Rev. Hank Dunn this class will help us to consider choices we may have to make for our loved ones and for ourselves. There will be a summary of the legal documentation necessary to express our wishes for medical care when we are terminally ill, or when there is no hope of regaining what we consider to be an acceptable quality of life. Presenters, Ann Yeo and Susan Kirkpatrick both are members of OUUC. Ann is a Registered Nurse and a Certified Holistic Nurse. Susan is a licensed attorney. Register by April 19.
Quick Notes
The Virtual Bulletin Board in OUUC Connect (Realm) is a place for members to share information about events in the larger community, ask for recommendations, and share resources. Email to sign up.
How can you know when there is an action coming up for faith in action? How do we organize in response to emerging justice issues and needs? We have a Faith in Action Alert List in OUUC Connect (Realm), as an opt-in group for FIA announcements. Join this group if you want to get these alerts. Email to sign up.
Safety Reminder: Please lock and remove valuables from your vehicles.
In the Larger Community
Learn more about the following events and others here.
Seattle Convergence – Nourishment for Anti-Racism and Collective Liberation. PRAXIS: a workshop for religious/spiritual leaders to generate lessons, culture, and power for collective liberation with Ayoka Turner and Chris Crass. Saturday, April 15, 1:00-5:00 pm. Anti-racist Parenting for Collective Liberation - Sunday, April 16, 4:30-7:00 pm. Online or at University Unitarian Church.
Reconnecting With Our Sacred Earth – An earth day celebration, Sunday, April 23, 1:00-2:00 pm at Decatur Woods Park, 1015 Decatur St SW. Family-friendly and free. Download the flyer below.
CONVERGENCE: Heart and Soul Nourishment for Anti-racism and Collective Liberation with Rev. Sekou and Chris Crass. Saturday, April 22, 1:00-4:00 pm. This gathering will be live-streamed as well as in-person at University Congregational UCC.
Chalice Lighters Spring Call: The Spring 2023 Cascadia Chalice Lighters Call will go to the UU Fellowship of Fairbanks (AK) which applied for funds to replace the worn-out boiler in their building.
Read more....
About Us
Sara Lewis, Director of Community and Faith Development
Darlene Sarkela, Congregational Administrator
Teresa Madsen, Communications Specialist
Marie Arensmeyer, Facilities Manager
Anissa Bentlemsani, Religious Education Assistant
Carbon Marshall, Tech Specialist
Office Hours
Tuesday - Thursday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Email: liberalfaith@ouuc.org
Website: http://ouuc.org
Location: 2315 Division Street Northwest, Olympia, WA, United States
Phone: 360-634-2005
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OlympiaUUC/
Twitter: @OlyUUC